By Hank Shield

 *WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*

Cobra Kai is a television series that is a continuation of the 1984 film The Karate Kid, detailing the fiery martial arts tension between car salesman Daniel Larusso, played by Ralph Macchio, and eighties-obsessed Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka.  Almost 40 years later, Larusso still incorporates karate in his everyday life and uses it to sell cars with billboards that say “We Kick The Competition.” On the other hand, Lawrence is a low-paid maintenance man that resides in a poorly-built condominium complex and is stuck living in the eighties. 

Cobra Kai, released in May 2018, was originally owned and available on Youtube, but it was recently bought by Netflix in the summer of 2020. Netflix is now finalizing the third season and renewing a fourth. 

Photo credit: Sony Pictures Television.

Season 1 of Cobra Kai begins with a flashback to the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament Finals, the climactic final moment of the original film, where underdog Larusso beat Lawrence for the championship. We’re then transported to the 21st century to witness the downfall of Johnny Lawrence, now in his 50s, as he wakes up in a bed with multiple Coors Light cans and a spilled bag of chips. As he leaves his condo on his way to his maintenance job, he is greeted by Miguel Diaz, played by Xolo Mariduena, a hopeful kid who just moved in. Later, as Johnny buys his dinner from a mini-mall convenience store, he sees Miguel getting Pepto Bismol for his grandmother. While Johnny eats his dinner outside, Miguel runs into some school bullies who jump him, until Johnny steps in and defends Miguel using karate. 

A maintenance man helping a kid who just moved in from school bullies using karate… Sound familiar? Yes, this is the basic premise of the original film, where Pat Morita played the role of the wise and powerful maintenance man, Mr. Miyagi (for which Morita was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). 

Miguel is desperate to learn karate so he can defend himself from these school bullies in the future and begs Johnny to teach him. This is when Johnny comes up with the incredible idea to reopen the dojo where he learned to fight in the 80s, Cobra Kai. This event causes many conflicts among different characters in the series. Larusso vows not to let Cobra Kai succeed, while Johnny’s son decides to work for Larusso and then go on to become Larusso’s only student before the All Valley Tournament. Throughout the first season, you see the use of similar scenarios to the original Karate Kid, including Miguel dressing up as a skeleton for the Halloween dance, Robby having to endure the same “wax-on, wax-off” training that Larusso did under Mr. Miyagi, Cobra Kai students intentionally harming Larusso’s student in the All Valley Tournament, and, lastly, the return of dreaded karate sensei John Kreese, played by Martin Kove. This season is only the fuse that will ignite the powder keg of martial arts, romantic, and dramatic tensions in the valley.

Season 2 begins with the return of thought-to-be dead Kreese, former sensei of the original Cobra Kai. The return of Kreese brings the return of his “no mercy” way of life. At first, Kreese seems sincere in his apology and promises to change and follow the new way of honor instituted in Cobra Kai. To counter Cobra Kai’s numbers, Larusso opens his own dojo, called Miyagi-do, and finds it very hard to get students to join a dojo that focuses on defense and the basics, instead of being rebellious and on the attack like Cobra Kai. Larusso’s only students are Robby and his daughter Samantha, played by Mary Mouser. They begin to gain students that leave Cobra Kai, which results in a war between the two dojos. This war produces mall fights, the trashing of each other’s dojos, and the near-death of Cobra Kai’s strongest student, Miguel. Season 2 entails the introduction of new students, such as Tory, played by Peyton List, and the return of original cast members Ron Thomas, Rob Garrison, and Tony O’Dell, who played Bobby, Tommy, and Jimmy in the original Karate Kid. 

Image credit: Helgi Halldórsson.

I know that many fans of this show consist of those who grew up watching the original Karate Kid movies, like my own mom or even some of the teachers here at Collegiate. Upper School math teacher Beth Anne Bell said, “the best part of the show Cobra Kai was the feeling of nostalgia. It brought me right back to my childhood and the 80’s.  The original Karate Kid movie is a classic! I thought the show did a great job continuing the journey of the original cast. It was fun to see Daniel and Johnny back on screen together as adults. I loved the use of flashbacks and lines from the original movie. I am looking forward to the possible return of Ali next season!” Many people who grew up watching the original Karate Kid movies would enjoy Cobra Kai, as it launches them back into their past when they were younger and life was simple.             

No one knows what to expect for season 3, but it should be filled with action-packed fights and rivalries, the likes we’ve never seen before (or, at least, since 1984).